Mike's mention that the worst problem growing crocuses in his area is
animal predators motivated me to mention yet another new attempt at
controlling mice in a crocus collection. Field mice won't take many of the
baits sold for control of house mice, and the ones currently at large here
seem unusually clever at robbing the bait out of traps without triggering
the traps. I finally decided to try distraction. Since they love sunflower
seeds, I just put a bowl of sunflower seeds (the kind sold for bird
feeders) in the crocus area of the bulb frame where they were digging for
corms. They've been taking the seeds and have left the pots alone for a few
days now. I hope this will be an environmentally safe compromise. I plan to
move the seeds gradually away from the crocuses and teach the mice to go
somewhere else for food.
Jane McGary
Northwestern Oregon, USA